Compressed gas guns, such as paintball markers used in the sport of paintball, using compressed gas or air for firing projectiles are well known. As used herein, compressed gas gun refers to any gun or similar launching mechanism for use in sport wherein a projectile is fired via the force of compressed gas, and includes paintball markers. As used herein, projectiles refers to both paintballs, and other projectiles used in sport and game play.
There are two basic mechanisms employed in compressed gas guns for firing a projectile during a firing operation. Loading a projectile in the breech of a compressed gas gun involves a bolt that reciprocates from a loading position, allowing a projectile into the breech, to a firing position.
A valving system is employed to release compressed gas from a source of compressed gas to fire the projectile from the gun. The valving system generally utilizes a hammer or ram that moves under spring force or pneumatic force upon actuation of a trigger, to strike the stem of a poppet to Nelson-style valve to allow compressed gas from a compressed gas chamber to flow through the valve body. The compressed gas flows through the opened valve body and through an aperture in the bolt, thereby firing a projectile in the breech of the paintball marker from the chamber and down the barrel. While other valving systems are employed, generally, all involve directing compressed gas under pressure to fire a projectile from the compressed gas gun. A typical prior art valve
Pneumatic guns of the “stacked” “over/under” or “two tube” variety for discharging projectiles such as paintballs are under the trademarks 32 DEGREES, EMPIRE, DIABLO, and INTIMIDATOR. In these arrangements, the upper chamber houses the bolt, and the lower chamber houses the valve assembly and hammer or ram, which is generally formed as a piston with a striker at the end facing the valve. The hammer or ram is attached by a mechanical linkage such as a pin to the bolt, so that both move together. A spring is used to bias the hammer toward the valve assembly.
In many cases, compressed gas guns utilize a poppet valve as the firing valve, that is, as the valve that releases compressed gas from a compressed gas source to fire a projectile from the gun. A typical prior art poppet valve 300 and hammer 306 arrangement is shown in FIG. 18. A valve spring 302 is provided, biasing the seat 304 of the poppet valve 300 closed. The hammer 306 is held in a cocked or ready position by a sear 308 that pivots to engage a portion of the hammer 306. A trigger 310 moves the sear 308, allowing the hammer 306 to spring forward under the bias of hammer spring 314 and contact the stem 312 of the poppet valve 300. When the hammer 306 contacts the stem 312, the seat 304 moves away from the valve body, opening the valve, and allowing compressed gas to flow through the valve body. These types of compressed gas guns move the hammer back to the loading or start position by “blow back,” that is, some of the air from a high pressure chamber returns the hammer to the cocked or loading position, thus “blowing” the hammer back to the starting position.
Some compressed gas guns are termed “electronic” compressed gas guns, and operate the hammer pneumatically. The hammer is formed as a pneumatic piston, and is disposed in a lower chamber of a compressed gas gun such as a paintball marker. Electronic compressed gas guns have electronics for controlling at least one solenoid valve, which directs compressed gas from a compressed gas source to the rear end or forward end of the piston, to operate the hammer. Such electronic guns still rely upon the hammer striking a poppet style valve assembly to fire a projectile from the guns.
As can be appreciated, the force of the valve spring must be strong to return the seat of the poppet valve to a closed position. In addition the force of the hammer spring or the pneumatic force moving the hammer must be strong enough overcome the valve spring. This arrangement creates inefficiencies, and wastes compressed gas.
It would be advantageous to have a valve assembly for a compressed gas gun where the valve assembly may be opened using less force than in known valve assemblies.